We all have that one car that left a lasting impression on us when we were kids, the one we can still remember every detail of the first time we laid our eye on, even if it was twenty, thirty, or even more years ago.
For 12-year-old Matt (now 45-year-old Matt of "Matt's Off-Road Recovery"), that car was a Chevrolet Corvair station wagon. He already loved the sedan and the coupe, but he had no idea Chevrolet also made the model as a station wagon. The first time he saw one, it was instant love.
He liked it so much that he started tracking that car, knowing its every move up to the point when he raised enough money—and the Corvair's price dropped low enough—for him to buy it. In the end, he paid a couple of hundred dollars for what could very well be called his "dream car," despite looking like the proverbial rust bucket.
Whether by conviction or forced by his line of business, Matt is currently fonder of off-road-worthy vehicles, so the Corvair didn't just undergo a restoration but rather a full conversion process. The 1961 Chevrolet Corvair Lakewood 700 Series looks nothing like it used to from the wheel arches down, including the wheel arches themselves, which have been cut out to make room for the big Milestar Patagonia tires.
Unlike what you would expect, the modified Corvair isn't body on frame, but rather a unibody build. However, since it will be used for off-road recovery missions, the chassis has been seriously reinforced to withstand the kind of abuse it will inevitably be subjected to.
Powering the off-road beast is a GM 5.3-liter LS V8 taken off a 2003 Silverado truck which, at least in original form, made 285 hp. But since this thing isn't built for speed, the eight-cylinder truck engine should prove powerful enough. It's mated to a Turbo 400 transmission nicked from a "late '80s Chevy truck." Completing the heterogeneous build is a pair of axles sourced from a 1990 diesel Dodge truck. The important thing, we guess, is that it all works together.
Even though it looks cool, they didn't cut those panels just for aesthetic purposes; in fact, that's rather a side effect. They needed to make room for the tires, especially since there are 12 inches (~30 cm) of suspension travel in the front and 13 inches (~32.5 cm) at the rear. With locking diffs both front and rear, we're guaranteed to see this thing (they call it the "Morrvair") pulling off some excellent rescue missions.
For now, though, the team is just happy to announce the completion of the project and decided to release an insane clip to let everyone know what they've been up to lately. The vehicle is genuinely stunning, and the shots of it skipping over the dunes are gorgeous. There's also a flame thrower in there for some reason, but we're not going to complain.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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